Pipe-wrench.



Nn.e95,463. Patented mar. la, |902; v m. s. Lewls. y PIPE WRENCH.

(Application led .Tune 28, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' /NvEA/mg MZA UNITED Tatras MORTIMER G. LEWIS,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIPE-WRENCH'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,463, dated March18, 1902.

Application iiled .Tune 26. 1901. 4 Serial No. 66,074. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, MORTIMER G. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Pipe- Wrenches,of whichthe following, taken in connection with. the accompanying drawings andthe letters of referencemarked thereon, is a full, clear, and eX- 1o actspecification.

My invention has relation to that wellknown class of implementsdenominated .pipe-wrenches and intended for turning or holding pipes orrods or other cylindrical i 5 pieces, th grasp or bite of the wrenchbeing automatically loosened bymoving the wrench in one direction andautomatically tightened by moving it in the opposite direction upon thepiece to be held or turned, the distance zo between the heads of thewrench being variable, so as to adapt the implement for operation inconnection with pieces of various diameters.

The principal objects of my invention are 2 5 to improve and simplifythe movable head of the wrench, so thatit may be easily, quickly, andaccurately adjusted to the desired point upon the handle or bar and heldthereon in an unyielding manner; to protect the means 3o by which themovable head is locked orreleased, so that this means will not beaccidentally damaged or disarranged during use and vhandling of thewrench, and to simplify and improve the manner of mounting the movablejaw in the movable head, so that it will be amply strong and durable forthe work required and so that it may be easily dismounted for repairsorfor cleaning the implement Whenever desired. l h 4o To accomplish allof these objects and to secure other and further advantages in thematters of construction, operation, and use, my invention involvescertain new and useful peculiarities of construction, relativearrangementsor combinations of parts, and details of manufacture, aswill be herein first fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming 5o part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section and partly in elevation,representing one size of my improved pipe-wrenchconstructed and arrangedfor operation in accordance with myinvention and `involving myimprovements, the parts being shown' as assembled for use. Fig. 2 isapartial section' and elevation on aplane through line x :n of Fig. llookin'gimthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is also a view, partly in`section and partly in elevationglon the broken 6o line y 'y of Fig. land looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4. is a plan viewof theunder side of the movable block and the adjusting-screw applied inconnection therewith as they appear when detached from the implement.

In all the iigures like letters of reference wherever they occurindicate corresponding parts. l

A is the wrench handle or bar, which may 7o be of any required length,according to the size of the wrench or according to the character of theWork to be performed. This handle carries at one end a fixed wrench-headB, having the usual teeth or serrations (represented at a) and beingpreferably formed with the handle, although it may be made in a separatepiece and rigidly fixed to the handle in any suitable manner. This headis usually a tritle broader than the handle and 8o is intended to beamply strong to withstand all the strains to which the Wrench may besubjected. The head and the handle, especially when made in onepiece,constitute what is commonly called the wrench-bar. On 8.5`

the top of the bar are a number of serrations, (represented at 19,) thesame serving to hold thel movable head at any point to which it may beadjusted upon the bar. 5

C represent-s the movable head, which is 9o adjustable back and forthupon the wrenchbar within the limits determined by the serrations b.This head for cheapness of manufacture and for-strength and durabilityIV prefer to make of cast metal. The upper portion ot' head C is ot"general cylindrical form and contains the means by which the head islocked in place on the bar or'by which it is released, so that it maybemovedfto any desired point. v of thetop of this head is screw-threaded,'as indicated, and receives the adj usting-screw,

A portion of the inner wall roo (represented at 1),) which screw movesup and down accordingly as it is turned by the thumb and finger. Thescrew D is supplied with projections, as CZ (Z, the same being locatedone on each side of the axis of the screw and when the screw is downbeing both below the top of the head C. In its up-andrlown movement thescrew D carries with it a locking-block E, the same being applied to thescrew in any suitable way, so that it will be caused to move up and downwith the screw, but not compelled to turn therewith, the lower face ofthe locking-block having sei-rations fitted to engage with those on thewrench-bar. The manner of connecting the screw D and the locking-block Eis preferably by a simple form of rivet, such as represented at e, thesame having a head which enters a recess in the block E, its shankpassed up through the block and through the screw and being upset orotherwise headed, so as to remain properly in place.

The block E should be prevented from turning with the screw, and thismay be ell'ected by any suitable means, a simple way being to make theblock a trifie narrower in one direction than the other and making thelower part of the cavity in the head of suitable form to receive it,substantially as indicated in the drawings.

The head being constructed and arranged substantially as above indicatedand the locking mechanism being located within the head substantially asexplained, it is plain that when once the head is set at the desiredpoint on the bar and locked it will not become displaced by any use ofthe wrench for the purpose of turning or holding, nor will it bedisplaced or disarranged upon dropping the wrench or otherwise castingit about, as always occurs during the use of the tool. Heretofore inwrenches of this general class the movable heads gradually becameloosened from one cause or another, so that the operator was required tocontinually adjust and set the head. With my improved form, however, itis clear that this disadvantage will be obviated. The block E being madeto properly fit the serrations b, when once locked in connection withthe latter the head will be rigidly secured in place, and this obviatesthe rattling and loose fitting of the head upon the bar, as is observedin former constructions and which destroys the adaptability of theimplementfor fine and accurate work.

To prevent the screw D from being unturned so far as to become displacedfrom its seat in the head C, I provide the Walls of the latter with anysuitable form of stop-as, for instance, a small screw f, which projectsinwardly and over the path of the screw I). This screw may be removedwhenever it may be desired to displace the scre WD and block E.

F is a movable jaw hinged or pivoted in the movable head, which latteris suitably recessed to receive it. This jaw is serrated on its outerface, as at g, these serrations, like those at CL, being properlyhardened. The object or piece of work to be turned or held is graspedbetween these two sets of serrations.

The jaw F bears at the back against a seat provided for it in the head Cand is keyed in place by a substantial hinge-pin, as 7L, which may bedriven out whenever desired to displace the jaw. The recessed head formsa substantial seat and backing for the movable jaw, so that the latterwill withstand the ef fects of any work to which it is subjected. Acoil-spring, as t', is set in a socket in the upper portion of the jawFand bears against the adjacent portion of the head or the wall of thecavity which receives the jaw F, and beneath the jaw F is a fiat spring7.a, secured in place, as by a screw Z entering the hack portion of thejaw, the free end of this spring bearing upon a bridge m, with which thejaw is provided for the purpose. Between the bridge 'm and the backportion of the head is an open space through which a screw-driver orother implement may be inserted for the purpose of removing the screw Zwhenever desired. This opening also prevents filings or chippings orother accumulations from collecting and interfering with the properworking of the jaw F.

To set the wrench, the head C is first loos cned and then moved on thebar so that the Work will be touched by the serrations, (represented at0. and g,) and then the screw D is turned down, causing the block E tolock the head firmly in the position to which adjusted.

By moving the wrench-handle back the jaw F will swing between the twosprings, so as to slightly enlarge the distance between the jaw F andthe head B, and then on moving the handle in the opposite direction thejaw F turns slightly on its axis, causing the work to be graspedtightly. A further movement of the bar in this same direction will causethe work to be turned in the manner desired.

The improved wrench being constructed and arranged substantially inaccordance with the foregoing explanations is of few and simple parts,all easy to construct and mount in place, and it will otherwise be foundto answer all the purposes or objects of the invention hereinbeforealluded to.

The improvements are equally adapted for use in connection with wrenchesof any size, large or small.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a pipe-Wrench, the combination with the wrench-bar of the movablehead mounted thereon, said head having the interiorlythreaded opening inthe top and the lockingscrew and connected locking-block located withinthe opening in the head and protected thereby, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the movable wrench- IOO IIO

and combined substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a pipe-wrench, the movable head recessed as explained, the movablejaw seatedv in the recessed head,tl1e hinge-pin and springs above andbelow the jaw, thehead being sup plied with a clearing-opening beneaththe jaw, 'the parts being combined and arranged su bstan tiall y as andfor the purposes set forth.

. MORTIMER G. LEWIS.

Witnesses: V

O. A. DUFFY, WORTH OsGooD.

